Fears of food shortage in Vanuatu after Cyclone Jasmine

Vanuatu’s National Disaster Office says there may be food shortages in the coming weeks after crops were damaged by Cyclone Jasmine.

A Research and Planning Officer, Peter Korisa, says he flew over southern Vanuatu yesterday and the two islands most affected are Aneityum and Tanna.

He says the aerial surveillance revealed buildings and roads suffered only minor damage.

Mr Korisa says people on the islands depend on the crops as a major food source to live on.

“We should take another rapid assessment on the ground to get more of a picture of damage on crops. And we could see from above that there was some damage to crops, root crops, on these two islands, Aneityum, and Tanna.”

Peter Korisa says a ground assessment team will survey water and sanitation on the two islands once they arrive in the next few days.